I have an old vintage faded orange t-shirt with a chest-wide
yellow sunburst in the center. In the
middle of the sunburst is the phrase “School’s Out for Summer!” If you’ve never heard it, it was a famous
line in a rock anthem. I only get to
wear it for a couple of months and then it has to be put back in the closet for
another year. Well today, I had to put
it back in the closet. I heard the first
school bus throw on its breaks as it picked up my neighbors’ kids. A friend of mine told me she did a run
through on her bus route last week. It
is that time.
I saw a Facebook status this morning where a mother who just
saw her daughter off to college a few weeks ago was now wishing her son a
wonderful first day as a freshman in high school. I remember that year. Whew!
Felt good to get middle school off my back. The year before I had gotten in trouble for
hanging with a group who was lighting firecrackers, smoking a cigarette behind
a tree on school property, and passing out in the bathroom during first hour
because I had drank enough whiskey before getting on the bus to knock a cow
over. I remember trying to fit in,
trying to make friends and trying to numb any pain I had. I also remember being grounded all but two
weeks that year. When I got to high
school, I was singing a new tune. No
more firecrackers, smoking or drinking for me!
It’s easy to forget how much each child brings with them to
school each day. Some are coming from
poverty so deep they are too hungry to learn.
Others come with no sleep… again… because they were up half the night
listening to family members fight through the night. Still others come with pain deeper than we
can ever imagine: their mother died of cancer, their brother is incarcerated,
their father is still out of work. Some
feel stupid simply because they don’t fit the system of education we use in
America. They aren’t stupid. But they sure feel like it when they can’t
pass a test or memorize a list of names and dates. Some are just lonely. They seemingly have all their needs met, and
carry a smart phone in their pocket and the newest tablet in their
backpack. But their parents have to work
more hours to pay for them both, along with the new shoes and the car in the
parking lot. Some of our students spend
way too much time alone, waiting… waiting for parents to get home, for a friend
to call, or stranger to care. So many of
them live online creating a whole new world there.
As certain t-shirts are put away for another year and as
backpacks get filled with everything from crayons to the latest electronic
gadgets, let’s keep a few people in our prayers. Each student needs prayers of hope and
love. There is nothing worse than losing
hope and there is nothing lonelier than not feeling loved. Each bus driver is carrying a load worth its
weight in gold. Remember to pray for
each one you see drive by each day.
Their minds can be as easily distracted as any of ours. And we certainly cannot forget the teachers…
pre-school teachers wiping tears and running noses, middle school teachers
helping show a better way to lost students, high school teachers inspiring our
youth to new heights and a future of hope, and college professors who walk
alongside students both young and old, as they search their path in this life. And let’s not forget to pray for all the
parents out there. There is no harder
job than to raise a child, and no greater joy than to see them succeed.
Gracious and holy God, bless this school year for each
student and teacher, bus driver and parent.
Walk close by and whisper sweet somethings along the way. And when each day is done, allow them all to
fall into your gracious and loving arms, so they may fully rest before a new
day arises. All honor be yours, forever
and ever. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment